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Contextual Influences in Design

The Industrial Revolution and it's effect on Design


The industrial Revolution was in the same era as the french revolution and american independence.

In 1663-1729, people got the opportunity to start moving from the country side to the city to find a better job for a better life. It was the same time new machines where being created such as the steam engine, which at the time was created to provide unlimited power day and night.

From my point of view, the industrial revolution was a time where things started shifting from survival to a better standard of living. People would create machines and other stuff not only for necessities but also as a luxury to improve standards of living.

 More machines created by Inventors during the industrial revolution:

John Kay – Kay created the flying shuttle which made a huge difference to the era because before his invention, it was only possible for cloth to be woven up to a maximum of the width of a man's body, across his arms. This was because he had to pass the shuttle backwards and forwards, from hand to hand.

John Kay's invention allowed the shuttle, containing the thread, to be shot backwards and forwards across a much wider bed. The flying shuttle also allowed the thread to be woven at a faster rate, making the process of weaving to become faster and better.

''The Rise of the middle class''

The revolution is also known for the rise of the middle class. because people started to rise in class and earn respect by the amount of money they earned and had rather than being considered upper class because of family. The people who where upgraded to middle and high class by the amount of money they had where called ''merchants''. In fact, high class people who where low on money but where still high class due to the family they came from would marry off their children to merchants for money.

Referring to what i was saying earlier on, the industrial revolution was a time where people would not only spend money as a necessity, but also for luxury and social standards.
 As the times progressed, in the 1750's-1800's it became a trend to buy artistic ceramics. Josiah wedge wood started this trend. He made Stafford shire pottery which is the main contributor of the industrial revolution. He commissioned artists such as 'John Flaxman'' to create ceramics designs for his company. He made Neoclassical art.

A ceramics piece by Josiah Wedgwood & sons.
Details: Creator: Josiah Wedgwood & Sons (British),Title: Portland Vase,Period: 18th Century, Dimensions: 10 x 7",Materials: jasper ceramics with applied decorations.



The 19th Century was an era of innovations and revivals.





Bibliography : 

Ashton, T.S. The industrial Revolution, London : Oxford University press, 1969
     www.panarosmo .com – Michael Diegman 2010 July 25^th. Schecen, Germany.

  www.cottontown.com

Taynbee,A. The Industrial Revolution Boston : Beacon 1957.

Gilbert, Martn British history Atlas. New York. Macillman, 1968.

www.wheotoncollege.edu

Contextual Influences in Art and design.

Essay – Vivienne Westwood.

 Vivienne Westwood also known as ‘’one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century’’ is an English fashion designer born on 8^th April 1941. She is widely known for bringing back the famous corsets and starting up ‘’modern punk’’ in fact, she is known for being called ‘’the first lady of punk or mother of punk’’. She started up her career with her boyfriend at the time named Malcolm McLaren (band member of sex pistols) where she made clothes for his boutique in the King’s Road which became known as ‘’sex’’.  

She stated that she started fashion designing as favor to help out her boyfriend, not because it was her dream. She said in the past 35 years she’s been working in the fashion industry she’s only been really passionate for 15/20 years of it.

According to Vivienne, people were beginning to get bored of hippies and they craved a new fashion era, which is when she was deeply inspired to create a new trend such as ‘’punk’’. Westwood’s daring desire to bend the rules and set a new kind of trend soon became recognize all over UK and eventually worldwide. Not only did she send out daring fashion statements but she also did campaigns for civil rights, climate change and nuclear disarmament.

What is truly amazing and inspiring about Westwood’s punk trend is that till today, her punk trend still lives on unlike most trends from the past. Nowadays the ‘’ripped jeans’’ trend could still be spotted. Other and modern designers carried on the trend of the red checked ‘’punk’’ pattern such as Alexander McQueen who seems to be influenced by Westwood.   

Corset tops are still made and worn today; they are used as a fashion statement, as clothing and for fitness. Also known as a ‘’waist trainer’’.

Designer Alexander McQueen

A corset by ''Tally Wejl'' a modern day retail store

Waist trainer corset used now a days for fitness to shape the body

Her influences:

As mentioned above, she revived corsets and brought them back to fashion, she did so because she was very interested and intrigued by the same period of the French revolution with teased hair, flocked coats, corsets and stripy trousers.

Dress inspired from the french revolution

Corset top by Vivienne Westwood

teased hair and french revolution inspired dresses by Vivienne Westwood.

French revolution Influence

Vivienne Westwood said she got her punk influence in 1970 when she saw covered walls with ripped pages from a magazine from the 1950’s and all their clothes were ripped so they started tearing clothes up.

We can see from her clothing lines that she mixed up her influences mentioned above together.

Vivienne's Classic mixed with modern ''ripped punk'' look.

A fashion show from Vivienne Westwood's clothing line.

As you can see from the photo above, setting her own original trend Westwood mixes punk and as well the mixed style of 17th Century.

She wanted to set a trend to influence people to stand out and be themselves. She thought clothes can help people instead of looking like a clone. She believes that if you were something that suits you, you can be remembered by it.

REFERENCES:

·        The New York Times. (2009). Vivienne Westwood Interview | Screen Test | The New York Times. [Online Video]. 22 October. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvj83Pr723Y. [Accessed: 22 October 2009].

·        Tim Blanks. 2014. Vivienne Westwood. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.style.com/fashion-shows/spring-2015-ready-to-wear/vivienne-westwood. [Accessed 27 September 14].

·        Shannon Price The Costume Institute, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2013. Vivienne Westwood (born 1941) and the Postmodern Legacy of Punk Style. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/search/. [Accessed 10 December 13].

·        A&E television works. 2015. Vivienne Westwood - Biography. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/vivienne-westwood-20624587#later-years. [Accessed 22 April 15].

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau began beginning 1890 to end of the First World War. It was an international style as it was the time where people would travel all over the world to see and experience new styles so they could replicate it back home. When it began to be recognized globally, there was an outrage because there were people who loved it and people who disliked it. Art Nouveau was is a very natural style meaning the style links a lot with nature such as bugs like grasshopper and butterfly's,sea waves, trees as well as floral, plants and even female silhouettes. 

The style consists on curvy lines or the more linear, straight look. Art Nouveau means ‘’new art’’ because unlike other styles in the previous years, it was not influenced by other styles but it was a whole new style which is why Art Nouveau is considered so revolutionary. Art Nouveau came in many forms such as architecture,glassware,jewellery,poster art, illustration, ceramics furniture, interior, fine, applied and decorative art.  Art nouveau influenced many artists and styles. Such as Japonism. It spread to many countries such as Paris, Europe, the united states, Germany, Italy, Austria and Australia.

Art Nouveau style jewelry piece

Casa Batllo by Gaudi

Art nouveau style stained glass

Art Nouveau Architecture

Artists during this period:

Gustav Klimt

"Whoever wants to know something about me - as an artist which alone is significant - they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognize what I am and what I want." – Gustav Klimt.

Gustav Klimt was born in Austria and attended the Vienna public arts school when he was 14 and later on, became one of Vienna’s most renowned advocator of art Nouveau. He is known for his Gold patterned,decorative and erotic paintings.

Victor Horta

 Victor Horta was a leading Belgian designer, architect and decorator. Who was born in 1861 and died in 1947.He built his own work shop and house and the ‘’horta museum’’. He was an inspiring man and influenced many designers all over Europe. He built the first art nouveau building called the tassel house.

 References

Encyclopedia of art history. 2014. Art Nouveau . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/art-nouveau.htm. [Accessed 05 May 14].

BBC. 2014. Art Nouveau. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/design/period_artnouveau.shtml. [Accessed 17 September 14].

The metropolitan museum of Art. 2006. Art Nouveau. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/artn/hd_artn.htm. [Accessed 09 October 06].

Eva di stefano. 2008. Gustav Klimt. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theartstory.org/artist-klimt-gustav.htm#. [Accessed 07 October 08].

Senses . 2008. Horta, Victor Horta. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.senses-artnouveau.com/biography.php?artist=HOR.